(no subject)
Right. Things we have had so far in our chaste, wish-fulfillment-of-seventy-year-old-women CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR novel:
1. The assistant heroine shooting at several people and kidnapping a woman at gunpoint for threatening to help kidnap her.
2. Eternal romance springing from falling in love with the neighbor kid at age 14. (He's dead.)
3. The maid opening the door to a man in her nightie after dark when the family is away.
4. Howard Letchworth and his defensive pre-emptive jilting.
This shit is bananas. I need more.
This story of domestic household bliss has one major villain:
Clive Terrence hung around. He calmly took it for granted that the Clouds wanted him as long as he condescended to stay. In fact, it wouldn’t have troubled him whether they wanted him or not if he wanted to stay. He had discovered that Leslie was the very same kind of a “peach” which her younger days had promised her to be, and there was plenty of good fun, so he stayed. He said he wanted to see what the college was like before he made his decision, and day after day went by with apparently no plans whatever for leaving in the near future.
THE UNWANTED VISITOR WHO WEARS OUT HIS WELCOME. No! Not again! We don't even know the magic words to vanquish him, as they are always delivered offscreen!
But more and more as the days slipped by she did not like him. At first she was a bit worried about his influence on Allison, till she saw that he merely annoyed Allison. Then she began to be annoyed by his constant attendance on Leslie. And finally she grew exceedingly restless and anxious as day succeeded day and Howard came no more. Finally, one evening just before dinner, she went to the ’phone and called up the college. It happened that she caught Howard just as he was going down to dinner. She told him they were homesick for him and there was roast lamb and green peas and strawberry shortcake for dinner, wouldn’t he come? He came. Who could refuse Julia Cloud?
But the face of Clive Terrence was a study when, unannounced, Howard entered the living-room. Julia Cloud had seen him coming and quietly opened the door. Such a storm of delighted welcome as met him warmed his heart and dispelled the evil spirits that had haunted him during the week.
There are evil spirits haunting this dude, and we're stuck with watching Clive Terrence.
In the chatter of talk while they were being seated at the dinner table the visitor was almost forgotten, and he sat watching them glumly while Allison and Leslie eagerly discussed plans for some society in which they seemed to be interested. At last he grew weary of being ignored and in the first pause he languidly drawled:
“Leslie, I think you and I’ll take the cah and go in town to a show this evening. I’m bored to death.”
Why are we stuck with this guy when we know he's an offense to all that is Leslie? Because the Angel of the House deals with domestic offenses, so Leslie is stuck as our role model for how to deal with intrusive men.
“Do you? Well, think again! I’m having a lovely time”--and went on talking to Howard about the senior play that was to come off the next week.
She is much better at sassy brushoffs than Howard Letchworth and his ineffectual jibes.
did not suit Clive in the least to be ignored, so he started in to tell about other senior plays in other colleges where he had been and quite made himself the centre of the stage, laughing at his own jokes and addressing all his remarks to Leslie until her cheeks grew hot with annoyance. She wanted so to hear what Howard and Allison were talking about in low, grave tones. She watched the strong, fine face of Howard Letchworth, and it suddenly came over her that he seemed very far away from her, like a friend who used to be, but had moved away.
You don't want your boy friends to move away. You will get a couple of letters before they drown saving children.
Something in her throat hurt, and a sinking feeling came in her heart. Like a flash it came to her that Howard Letchworth would be graduated in three more weeks, and perhaps would go away then and they would see him no more. She caught a word or two now and then as he talked to Allison that indicated that he was seriously contemplating such a possibility. Yet he had not said a word to her about it! And they had been such good friends! A grieved look began to grow around her expressive little cupid’s bow of a mouth, and her big eyes grew sorrowful as she watched the two. She was not listening to Clive, who drawled on unaware of her inattention.
There is a big danger in ignoring men:
Suddenly Leslie became aware that Clive had risen and was standing over her with something in his hand which he had taken from his vest, something small and shining, and he was saying:
“Want to wear it, Les? Here, I’ll put it on you, then everybody will think we are engaged---!”
It was his fraternity pin he was holding out with smiling assurance and the significance of his words came over her as a sentence read without comprehension will suddenly recall itself and pierce into the realization. With a stifled cry she sprang away from him.
“Mercy, no, Clive! I didn’t know you were so silly. I never wear boys’ fraternity pins. I think such things are too sacred to be trifled with!”
If you ignore men, they will propose to you while you're not paying attention, and you will have a BIG mess to clean up. This is the second time in the book when an ill-timed proposal or perceived proposal happened while the gentle lady's mind was wandering. Men in this book do not seem very perceptive, since glassy-eyed staring into space is not usually regarded as the time to raise the idea of marriage.
This was what she said, but she was miserably aware that Howard had turned away and picked up his hat just as Clive had leaned over her with the pin, and almost immediately he left. He had been so engrossed with his talk with Allison that he had not seemed to see her repulsion of Clive, and his manner toward her as he bade her good-night was cool and distant.
So he barely saw the boy trying to put the pin on her, he talked hard to Allison and tuned out the stifled screech, jumping away, and resultant lecture, and when he said goodnight to her he failed to notice that she was wearing no pin. I don't know why I'm balking at contrivances this late in the game, but indeed I do. This Big Misunderstanding continues to chafe all parties involved and uninvolved:
Julia Cloud, from the advantage of the dining-room where she was doing little things, for the next day, watched the drama with a heavy heart. What had come between her children, and what could she do about it? The only comforting thing about it seemed to be that each was as unhappy as the other.
Julia laughs at your suffering, Howard Letchworth.
Leslie, as the door closed behind Howard, turned with one dagger look at Clive, and dashed up-stairs to her room, where she locked herself in and cried till her eyes were too swollen for study;
So Leslie absolutely does not like having Clive around.
Julia Cloud, kneeling beside her gray couch a little later, laying all her troubles on the One who was her strength, found it hard not to emphasize her dislike even in prayer toward the useless little excuse for a young man who was lolling down-stairs reading a novel and smoking innumerable cigarettes in spite of her expressed wish to the contrary.
Julia does not like having him around. That's two out of three. Why have they not turfed him out?
“Thanks! No! I hate reading aloud. Books always bore me anyway. The Bible! Oh Heck! NO! Count me out!” And he swung one leg over the arm of his chair, and picked up the Sunday illustrated supplement which he had gone out and purchased, and which was now strewn all about the floor. He continued for sometime to rattle the paper and whistle in a low tone rudely while the reading went on, then he threw down his paper and lighted a cigarette. But that did not seem to soothe his nerves sufficiently, so he strolled over to the piano and began to drum bits of popular airs and sing in a high nasal tone that he was pleased to call “whiskey tenor.” Julia Cloud, with a despairing glance at him, finally closed her book and suggested that they had read enough for that day, and the little audience drifted away unhappily to their rooms. Leslie did not come down again all the afternoon until just time for Christian Endeavor. Young Terrence by this time was reduced to almost affability, and looked up hopefully.
We don't ever get an idea of what Allison thinks, but since he lectures his professors on how to do their jobs and make time for Christian Endeavor he can hardly appreciate this. He seems to spend his whole time not noticing anything while they go to church and Clive makes a tremendous pest of himself and doesn't understand anything. He also notes that Leslie is surrounded by "common-looking" girls, and wonders if this is a charity effort to be good to the lower classes. Speaking of which:
So Clive was landed at home with Julia Cloud for companion, who had not gone to church on account of staying to nurse Cherry, who had taken a bad cold and needed medicine.
HI CHERRY! Sorry you don't feel well! And once again I am confused about Cherry and her treatment. GLH is obviously bucking something, because the lady of the house is sitting by the bedside of the sick maid of color, who she cannot send to Christian Endeavor because the churches are segregated. She has missed church for this, which she normally wouldn't skip even if the church were on fire. She is undoubtedly reading her the Bible, which Grace has been trying to get across as a kindness, not a Christian duty. She has also not sent the sick maid home to her family to get her filthy cold germs out of the house. I think Grace is really trying here. She may not be able to get past class, dialect, and different hair... but she wants to.
Unfortunately, that's all we get of Cherry for now. It's back to Leslie.
Clive Terrence was ignored as utterly as if he had been a fly on the ceiling, and Leslie managed to keep every minute full. Moreover, her mind was so much occupied with other things that she had not time to realize how fully she was cutting their guest out of sight of her, nor how utterly amazed it made him. He was not accustomed to being ignored by young ladies, even though they were both beautiful and rich. He felt that he was quite ornamental himself, and had plenty of money, too, and he could not brook any such treatment. So he set himself to procure revenge by going hot-foot after the Freshman “vamp”--who, to tell the truth, was much more in his style than Leslie and quite, quite willing--though Leslie, dear child, was too absorbed to know it.
We don't know who this Freshman Vamp is, although there was a mention of that lowest of the castes earlier in the book. The caste is so loe there is only room for one Freshman Vamp. Myrtle, who sneaked out with boys, was not the Freshman Vamp. Leslie ran the risk of being the Freshman Vamp for wearing a dress with too little waist, but the crown passed to someone else who was even sluttier, possibly by laughing too loudly or not going everywhere with an escort... but maybe just by being 'willing' to receive the attentions of jilted men. Whatever she's up to, it's very fortunate Leslie hasn't noticed, or she'd grab her gun and get that girl fired. Since Leslie can no longer be saddled with Clive's attention, something else must happen, and happen it does. While Julia chats to Clive to keep him from overhearing, Leslie and Allison confer.
“Jane’s had a perfectly terrible time!” had been Leslie’s opening sentence, “and we’ve got to do something about it! Those little cats in the AOU have done the meanest thing you can think of. Jane looked just crushed! They’ve hauled up that old stuff about her father being a forger and urged it as a reason that she shouldn’t be made treasurer in place of Anne Dallas--who is leaving on account of the death of her father and she has to go home and take care of her little sisters--and Jane heard them!”
Jane is Allison's love interest. So far, she has been in Christian Endeavor, visited Julia a lot, gone to college, worked for a living, and had a dead forger father. Those last two render her ineligible in the eyes of society.
“They said---” went on Leslie in excited whisper. “They said that since we had such a large sum to look out for now that the subscriptions for the sorority house were coming in, we should put in a treasurer of tried and true integrity. Yes, they used just those words, tried and true integrity! Think of it! And our Jane! The idea! The catty little snobs! The jealous little--cats!
I like to think Leslie realized at the last moment Julia was going to hear her using a very indelicate word.
No, it wasn’t Eugenia Frazer who said it, it was Eunice Brice--but I’m certain she was at the bottom of it, for she sat with her nice smug little painted face as sweet and complacent as an angel, all the time it was going on, and she seconded the motion! Just like that! With a smile, too! She said she fully agreed with what Miss Brice had said. Agreed! H’m! As if every one didn’t know she had started it, and got it all fixed up with enough girls to carry the motion before the rest of us got down from an exam.
Sorority politicking! This shouldn't be as interesting as it is but god damn do I love it. Unfortunately, like Myrtle, it's wasted by lack of buildup. We don't so much want to see Eugenia and Eunice get their comeuppances as we want to get a hold on which is which and discern what kind of Leslie-style bruising they are cruising for.
they counted up and had just enough to a name to carry their motion. They even got Marian Hobbs to cut a class to get there. They hadn’t counted on my getting in in time to hear, I guess, or else they didn’t care. Perhaps they wanted me to hear it all; I’m sure I don’t know. I suppose that must have been it. They thought perhaps I’d tell you and that would stop you from going with Jane. You know Eugenia and Eunice are both crazy about you, especially Eugenia---!”
And while we have the hint of a chance for catfight, neither Eugenia nor Eunice have been in the running for Allison's affections until now, or even appeared. I wish Grace would buckle down on her subplots a bit more. Allison does not care to recognise their craziness about him, skipping to the person we know will have his heart:
“Where was Jane?” Julia Cloud caught that anxious question, and then Clive, who had evidently heard also, roused himself to ask a question:
“Who is this Jane person they talk so much about? I don’t seem to have seen her! Where is she?”
“She is Miss Bristol,” said Julia Cloud, stiffening just a little at the young fellow’s tone of insolence. “She is in college and very busy, but has been unusually busy since you have been here because she is caring for a little child whose mother has been very ill.”
“Oh!--You mean she’s a sort of sehvant?”--He drawled the question most offensively, and Julia Cloud had a sudden ridiculous impulse to seize his sleek shoulder and shake him. Instead she only smiled and quoted a Bible verse: “I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.”
Since he wouldn't know a Bible verse if it jumped up and bit him, this is a very muddled response.
“I don’t getcha!” he answered finally, but Julia Cloud made no further comment than to pass him a second cup of coffee. She could hear the soft excited whispers still going on in the living-room and she longed to fly in there and leave this ill-bred guest to his own devices, for she knew something must have happened to trouble her children, and that if this intruder were not present she would be at once taken into their confidence. Still she had to sit and smile and keep him from hearing them.
Literally nobody wants him in the house right now.
“Jane had finished her exam. and hurried down because she thought there would be a lot of business and she wanted Emily Reeder to be put in treasurer and was trying to work it, and hadn’t an idea Alice and I were working it to put her in. We didn’t think she would get there and meant to have it all finished before she came, but someone turned around and gave a queer little cough just as Eunice finished her nasty speech, and we all turned quickly and there in the open door stood Jane, as white as a sheet, with her great, big blue eyes looking black as coals and such suffering I never saw in a human face--and she just stood and looked at them all, a hurt, loving, searching look, as if she was reading their souls, and no one spoke nor moved, only Eunice, who got very red, and Eugenia, who straightened up and got haughty and hateful, looking as if she was glad Jane heard it all. She had a kind of glitter in her eyes, like triumph--and it was very still for a whole minute, and then Jane put out her hands in a little, quick, pleading motion and turned away quickly and was gone---”
“And what did you do?” Allison’s tone had hope, threat, condemnation and praise all held in abeyance on her answer.
Hm. Maybe they are both in love with Jane.
“I---? Oh--I wanted to run after her and comfort her, but I had something else to do. I jumped up and offered my resignation to the AOU, and said I wished to withdraw my subscription to the Sorority House, that I couldn’t have anything to do with a bunch of girls that would stand for a thing as contemptible and mean as that.”
There is even more sorority politicking!
“And Phoebe Kemp jumped up and withdrew hers until they all apologized to Jane, and then Alice Lowe said she’d have to withdraw hers, too--she’s given the highest amount subscribed, you know; she has slews of money all in her own right, because she’s of age, you know--and then the girls began to get scared and Elsie Dare got right up and said she thought there had been some kind of a mistake--a blunder--they mustn’t get excited--they must begin all over, and somebody must go after Jane and bring her back and explain--as if there was any way to explain a bold, bare insult like that!--and they sent a committee after her. They wanted me to go, but I declined to go in their name. I said I had handed in my resignation and I wasn’t one of them any more, and they might send somebody who would better represent them, and they said they hadn’t accepted my resignation and a lot of stuff, but they sent off a committee to find Jane, and they tried to think up something quickly to say to her, and they got Eunice Brice to crying and made Eugenia real mad so the powder came off her nose from rubbing it so much, and I came away.
Why, why are we reading this after the fact? This is worse than the burglary, where we last see Leslie leaping into a moving car before she comes back and tells all about wrestling matches and shooting burglars in the knee. Heiresses! Elsie Dare! The letdowns of makeup! Hastily organized sorority commitees and search parties! Copious tears!
“That’s right. I’ll find her---” Allison made one step to the hat-rack and took his hat, then raising his voice: “Cloudy, I’ve been called away on business suddenly. Don’t bother keeping anything for me, I’ve had all I want---” and he was gone.
And we don't follow him. We hang around the house.
But Leslie was down again in a moment and standing in the doorway, her curls tumbled, her eyes bright and anxious, an indignant little set of lips and chin giving her a worried expression.
“Jewel, dear, I’ve got to go; there’s something important on--I’ll tell you about it all when I get back. No, please, I couldn’t eat now. You get Cherry to save me some strawberry shortcake.” And she was off like a breeze and out of sight.
That doesn't count as a HI CHERRY! but I am glad she is better.
“Wait a minute, Leslie, I’ll go up with you,” called Clive with his mouth full of shortcake and cream, but Leslie was already whirling down the street like the wind. Allison had taken the car, so there was nothing left for Clive to do but finish his shortcake and think up some form of amusement with the Freshman vamp for the afternoon.
Now I really want strawberry shortcake. And I'm starting to feel sorry for the Freshman Vamp, who is getting more disrespect than GLH would be caught dead giving the maid. Since she never even gets a name, I am starting to imagine her as a caped superheroine who hides her alter ego. She is passing the time allowing Clive to amuse her so she can lure her nemesis, the Swell Dude, into a false sense of security. Then she will bring down the smuggling ring she spied out while walking around campus on Clive's arm.
We will have to leave her to it, because Leslie has discovered Jane's wereabouts. Jane is going to the old quarry, and Leslie bribed the kitchen-boy not to tell anyone, which would bite her in the butt if Jane had fallen in by now.
“That’s all right, kid! You take the car and follow up the road. I’ll go through the woods and look for her---!” said Allison, springing out.
“You will be careful, won’t you? You know that quarry is terribly deep---”
“I know!” said Allison, his tone showing his own anxiety. “And Jane hasn’t scrambled around here as much as we have; she hasn’t had the time. And there is so much undergrowth close up to the edge, one could come on it unaware--especially if one was excited, and not paying attention---! I better beat it! Jump in and drive me around college and I’ll get off at the gym.”
So it's the two of them to the rescue. If either were George Prescott Benedict I would advise Jane to hop on into the quarry, but so far they're pretty competent, so there is hope.
“Allison--I think maybe you needn’t worry---” she said softly. “You know Jane is--real! She isn’t weak like some people. She won’t go all to pieces like--well, like I would. God means something to her, you know.”
“I know!” said Allison gravely, gently. “Thank you, kid! Well. I get off here. Meet me at the top of the second hill in half an hour, and hang around there for a bit. I may whistle, see? So long.”
This is the only hint we get that perhaps Jane deliberately went to the quarry to chuck herself in. As a cherry on this cupcake, we get a brief appearance by Howard Letchworth:
Her heart leaped up with joy that here was someone who would understand and sympathize, and she put her foot to the brake to slow down with a light of welcome in her eyes, but before she could stop he had lifted his hat and passed on with the others as if he were just anyone. Of course he had not seen her intention, did not realize that she wanted to speak with him, yet it hurt her. A week or two before she would have called after him, or even backed the car to catch him, but now something froze within her and with her heart beating wildly, and tears scorching her eyes, she put on speed and whirled away up the hill. It seemed to her that all her lovely world was breaking into pieces under her feet.
Whose only contribution is to upset the frantically driving Leslie to the point where she and her car might end up in that quarry. We get a long, agonized paragraph where Leslie thinks about how upset Howard has been making her.
Yet just when she would think she had control of her thoughts, that stern, distant expression on Howard’s face would come between her and the afternoon brightness, and back would roll the trouble with renewed vigor. What a world this was anyway and why did people have to live?
So either Jane or Leslie could end up deliberately quarry-diving. Goodness, this has gotten dark! Someone light the FreshmanVampsignal.
1. The assistant heroine shooting at several people and kidnapping a woman at gunpoint for threatening to help kidnap her.
2. Eternal romance springing from falling in love with the neighbor kid at age 14. (He's dead.)
3. The maid opening the door to a man in her nightie after dark when the family is away.
4. Howard Letchworth and his defensive pre-emptive jilting.
This shit is bananas. I need more.
This story of domestic household bliss has one major villain:
Clive Terrence hung around. He calmly took it for granted that the Clouds wanted him as long as he condescended to stay. In fact, it wouldn’t have troubled him whether they wanted him or not if he wanted to stay. He had discovered that Leslie was the very same kind of a “peach” which her younger days had promised her to be, and there was plenty of good fun, so he stayed. He said he wanted to see what the college was like before he made his decision, and day after day went by with apparently no plans whatever for leaving in the near future.
THE UNWANTED VISITOR WHO WEARS OUT HIS WELCOME. No! Not again! We don't even know the magic words to vanquish him, as they are always delivered offscreen!
But more and more as the days slipped by she did not like him. At first she was a bit worried about his influence on Allison, till she saw that he merely annoyed Allison. Then she began to be annoyed by his constant attendance on Leslie. And finally she grew exceedingly restless and anxious as day succeeded day and Howard came no more. Finally, one evening just before dinner, she went to the ’phone and called up the college. It happened that she caught Howard just as he was going down to dinner. She told him they were homesick for him and there was roast lamb and green peas and strawberry shortcake for dinner, wouldn’t he come? He came. Who could refuse Julia Cloud?
But the face of Clive Terrence was a study when, unannounced, Howard entered the living-room. Julia Cloud had seen him coming and quietly opened the door. Such a storm of delighted welcome as met him warmed his heart and dispelled the evil spirits that had haunted him during the week.
There are evil spirits haunting this dude, and we're stuck with watching Clive Terrence.
In the chatter of talk while they were being seated at the dinner table the visitor was almost forgotten, and he sat watching them glumly while Allison and Leslie eagerly discussed plans for some society in which they seemed to be interested. At last he grew weary of being ignored and in the first pause he languidly drawled:
“Leslie, I think you and I’ll take the cah and go in town to a show this evening. I’m bored to death.”
Why are we stuck with this guy when we know he's an offense to all that is Leslie? Because the Angel of the House deals with domestic offenses, so Leslie is stuck as our role model for how to deal with intrusive men.
“Do you? Well, think again! I’m having a lovely time”--and went on talking to Howard about the senior play that was to come off the next week.
She is much better at sassy brushoffs than Howard Letchworth and his ineffectual jibes.
did not suit Clive in the least to be ignored, so he started in to tell about other senior plays in other colleges where he had been and quite made himself the centre of the stage, laughing at his own jokes and addressing all his remarks to Leslie until her cheeks grew hot with annoyance. She wanted so to hear what Howard and Allison were talking about in low, grave tones. She watched the strong, fine face of Howard Letchworth, and it suddenly came over her that he seemed very far away from her, like a friend who used to be, but had moved away.
You don't want your boy friends to move away. You will get a couple of letters before they drown saving children.
Something in her throat hurt, and a sinking feeling came in her heart. Like a flash it came to her that Howard Letchworth would be graduated in three more weeks, and perhaps would go away then and they would see him no more. She caught a word or two now and then as he talked to Allison that indicated that he was seriously contemplating such a possibility. Yet he had not said a word to her about it! And they had been such good friends! A grieved look began to grow around her expressive little cupid’s bow of a mouth, and her big eyes grew sorrowful as she watched the two. She was not listening to Clive, who drawled on unaware of her inattention.
There is a big danger in ignoring men:
Suddenly Leslie became aware that Clive had risen and was standing over her with something in his hand which he had taken from his vest, something small and shining, and he was saying:
“Want to wear it, Les? Here, I’ll put it on you, then everybody will think we are engaged---!”
It was his fraternity pin he was holding out with smiling assurance and the significance of his words came over her as a sentence read without comprehension will suddenly recall itself and pierce into the realization. With a stifled cry she sprang away from him.
“Mercy, no, Clive! I didn’t know you were so silly. I never wear boys’ fraternity pins. I think such things are too sacred to be trifled with!”
If you ignore men, they will propose to you while you're not paying attention, and you will have a BIG mess to clean up. This is the second time in the book when an ill-timed proposal or perceived proposal happened while the gentle lady's mind was wandering. Men in this book do not seem very perceptive, since glassy-eyed staring into space is not usually regarded as the time to raise the idea of marriage.
This was what she said, but she was miserably aware that Howard had turned away and picked up his hat just as Clive had leaned over her with the pin, and almost immediately he left. He had been so engrossed with his talk with Allison that he had not seemed to see her repulsion of Clive, and his manner toward her as he bade her good-night was cool and distant.
So he barely saw the boy trying to put the pin on her, he talked hard to Allison and tuned out the stifled screech, jumping away, and resultant lecture, and when he said goodnight to her he failed to notice that she was wearing no pin. I don't know why I'm balking at contrivances this late in the game, but indeed I do. This Big Misunderstanding continues to chafe all parties involved and uninvolved:
Julia Cloud, from the advantage of the dining-room where she was doing little things, for the next day, watched the drama with a heavy heart. What had come between her children, and what could she do about it? The only comforting thing about it seemed to be that each was as unhappy as the other.
Julia laughs at your suffering, Howard Letchworth.
Leslie, as the door closed behind Howard, turned with one dagger look at Clive, and dashed up-stairs to her room, where she locked herself in and cried till her eyes were too swollen for study;
So Leslie absolutely does not like having Clive around.
Julia Cloud, kneeling beside her gray couch a little later, laying all her troubles on the One who was her strength, found it hard not to emphasize her dislike even in prayer toward the useless little excuse for a young man who was lolling down-stairs reading a novel and smoking innumerable cigarettes in spite of her expressed wish to the contrary.
Julia does not like having him around. That's two out of three. Why have they not turfed him out?
“Thanks! No! I hate reading aloud. Books always bore me anyway. The Bible! Oh Heck! NO! Count me out!” And he swung one leg over the arm of his chair, and picked up the Sunday illustrated supplement which he had gone out and purchased, and which was now strewn all about the floor. He continued for sometime to rattle the paper and whistle in a low tone rudely while the reading went on, then he threw down his paper and lighted a cigarette. But that did not seem to soothe his nerves sufficiently, so he strolled over to the piano and began to drum bits of popular airs and sing in a high nasal tone that he was pleased to call “whiskey tenor.” Julia Cloud, with a despairing glance at him, finally closed her book and suggested that they had read enough for that day, and the little audience drifted away unhappily to their rooms. Leslie did not come down again all the afternoon until just time for Christian Endeavor. Young Terrence by this time was reduced to almost affability, and looked up hopefully.
We don't ever get an idea of what Allison thinks, but since he lectures his professors on how to do their jobs and make time for Christian Endeavor he can hardly appreciate this. He seems to spend his whole time not noticing anything while they go to church and Clive makes a tremendous pest of himself and doesn't understand anything. He also notes that Leslie is surrounded by "common-looking" girls, and wonders if this is a charity effort to be good to the lower classes. Speaking of which:
So Clive was landed at home with Julia Cloud for companion, who had not gone to church on account of staying to nurse Cherry, who had taken a bad cold and needed medicine.
HI CHERRY! Sorry you don't feel well! And once again I am confused about Cherry and her treatment. GLH is obviously bucking something, because the lady of the house is sitting by the bedside of the sick maid of color, who she cannot send to Christian Endeavor because the churches are segregated. She has missed church for this, which she normally wouldn't skip even if the church were on fire. She is undoubtedly reading her the Bible, which Grace has been trying to get across as a kindness, not a Christian duty. She has also not sent the sick maid home to her family to get her filthy cold germs out of the house. I think Grace is really trying here. She may not be able to get past class, dialect, and different hair... but she wants to.
Unfortunately, that's all we get of Cherry for now. It's back to Leslie.
Clive Terrence was ignored as utterly as if he had been a fly on the ceiling, and Leslie managed to keep every minute full. Moreover, her mind was so much occupied with other things that she had not time to realize how fully she was cutting their guest out of sight of her, nor how utterly amazed it made him. He was not accustomed to being ignored by young ladies, even though they were both beautiful and rich. He felt that he was quite ornamental himself, and had plenty of money, too, and he could not brook any such treatment. So he set himself to procure revenge by going hot-foot after the Freshman “vamp”--who, to tell the truth, was much more in his style than Leslie and quite, quite willing--though Leslie, dear child, was too absorbed to know it.
We don't know who this Freshman Vamp is, although there was a mention of that lowest of the castes earlier in the book. The caste is so loe there is only room for one Freshman Vamp. Myrtle, who sneaked out with boys, was not the Freshman Vamp. Leslie ran the risk of being the Freshman Vamp for wearing a dress with too little waist, but the crown passed to someone else who was even sluttier, possibly by laughing too loudly or not going everywhere with an escort... but maybe just by being 'willing' to receive the attentions of jilted men. Whatever she's up to, it's very fortunate Leslie hasn't noticed, or she'd grab her gun and get that girl fired. Since Leslie can no longer be saddled with Clive's attention, something else must happen, and happen it does. While Julia chats to Clive to keep him from overhearing, Leslie and Allison confer.
“Jane’s had a perfectly terrible time!” had been Leslie’s opening sentence, “and we’ve got to do something about it! Those little cats in the AOU have done the meanest thing you can think of. Jane looked just crushed! They’ve hauled up that old stuff about her father being a forger and urged it as a reason that she shouldn’t be made treasurer in place of Anne Dallas--who is leaving on account of the death of her father and she has to go home and take care of her little sisters--and Jane heard them!”
Jane is Allison's love interest. So far, she has been in Christian Endeavor, visited Julia a lot, gone to college, worked for a living, and had a dead forger father. Those last two render her ineligible in the eyes of society.
“They said---” went on Leslie in excited whisper. “They said that since we had such a large sum to look out for now that the subscriptions for the sorority house were coming in, we should put in a treasurer of tried and true integrity. Yes, they used just those words, tried and true integrity! Think of it! And our Jane! The idea! The catty little snobs! The jealous little--cats!
I like to think Leslie realized at the last moment Julia was going to hear her using a very indelicate word.
No, it wasn’t Eugenia Frazer who said it, it was Eunice Brice--but I’m certain she was at the bottom of it, for she sat with her nice smug little painted face as sweet and complacent as an angel, all the time it was going on, and she seconded the motion! Just like that! With a smile, too! She said she fully agreed with what Miss Brice had said. Agreed! H’m! As if every one didn’t know she had started it, and got it all fixed up with enough girls to carry the motion before the rest of us got down from an exam.
Sorority politicking! This shouldn't be as interesting as it is but god damn do I love it. Unfortunately, like Myrtle, it's wasted by lack of buildup. We don't so much want to see Eugenia and Eunice get their comeuppances as we want to get a hold on which is which and discern what kind of Leslie-style bruising they are cruising for.
they counted up and had just enough to a name to carry their motion. They even got Marian Hobbs to cut a class to get there. They hadn’t counted on my getting in in time to hear, I guess, or else they didn’t care. Perhaps they wanted me to hear it all; I’m sure I don’t know. I suppose that must have been it. They thought perhaps I’d tell you and that would stop you from going with Jane. You know Eugenia and Eunice are both crazy about you, especially Eugenia---!”
And while we have the hint of a chance for catfight, neither Eugenia nor Eunice have been in the running for Allison's affections until now, or even appeared. I wish Grace would buckle down on her subplots a bit more. Allison does not care to recognise their craziness about him, skipping to the person we know will have his heart:
“Where was Jane?” Julia Cloud caught that anxious question, and then Clive, who had evidently heard also, roused himself to ask a question:
“Who is this Jane person they talk so much about? I don’t seem to have seen her! Where is she?”
“She is Miss Bristol,” said Julia Cloud, stiffening just a little at the young fellow’s tone of insolence. “She is in college and very busy, but has been unusually busy since you have been here because she is caring for a little child whose mother has been very ill.”
“Oh!--You mean she’s a sort of sehvant?”--He drawled the question most offensively, and Julia Cloud had a sudden ridiculous impulse to seize his sleek shoulder and shake him. Instead she only smiled and quoted a Bible verse: “I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.”
Since he wouldn't know a Bible verse if it jumped up and bit him, this is a very muddled response.
“I don’t getcha!” he answered finally, but Julia Cloud made no further comment than to pass him a second cup of coffee. She could hear the soft excited whispers still going on in the living-room and she longed to fly in there and leave this ill-bred guest to his own devices, for she knew something must have happened to trouble her children, and that if this intruder were not present she would be at once taken into their confidence. Still she had to sit and smile and keep him from hearing them.
Literally nobody wants him in the house right now.
“Jane had finished her exam. and hurried down because she thought there would be a lot of business and she wanted Emily Reeder to be put in treasurer and was trying to work it, and hadn’t an idea Alice and I were working it to put her in. We didn’t think she would get there and meant to have it all finished before she came, but someone turned around and gave a queer little cough just as Eunice finished her nasty speech, and we all turned quickly and there in the open door stood Jane, as white as a sheet, with her great, big blue eyes looking black as coals and such suffering I never saw in a human face--and she just stood and looked at them all, a hurt, loving, searching look, as if she was reading their souls, and no one spoke nor moved, only Eunice, who got very red, and Eugenia, who straightened up and got haughty and hateful, looking as if she was glad Jane heard it all. She had a kind of glitter in her eyes, like triumph--and it was very still for a whole minute, and then Jane put out her hands in a little, quick, pleading motion and turned away quickly and was gone---”
“And what did you do?” Allison’s tone had hope, threat, condemnation and praise all held in abeyance on her answer.
Hm. Maybe they are both in love with Jane.
“I---? Oh--I wanted to run after her and comfort her, but I had something else to do. I jumped up and offered my resignation to the AOU, and said I wished to withdraw my subscription to the Sorority House, that I couldn’t have anything to do with a bunch of girls that would stand for a thing as contemptible and mean as that.”
There is even more sorority politicking!
“And Phoebe Kemp jumped up and withdrew hers until they all apologized to Jane, and then Alice Lowe said she’d have to withdraw hers, too--she’s given the highest amount subscribed, you know; she has slews of money all in her own right, because she’s of age, you know--and then the girls began to get scared and Elsie Dare got right up and said she thought there had been some kind of a mistake--a blunder--they mustn’t get excited--they must begin all over, and somebody must go after Jane and bring her back and explain--as if there was any way to explain a bold, bare insult like that!--and they sent a committee after her. They wanted me to go, but I declined to go in their name. I said I had handed in my resignation and I wasn’t one of them any more, and they might send somebody who would better represent them, and they said they hadn’t accepted my resignation and a lot of stuff, but they sent off a committee to find Jane, and they tried to think up something quickly to say to her, and they got Eunice Brice to crying and made Eugenia real mad so the powder came off her nose from rubbing it so much, and I came away.
Why, why are we reading this after the fact? This is worse than the burglary, where we last see Leslie leaping into a moving car before she comes back and tells all about wrestling matches and shooting burglars in the knee. Heiresses! Elsie Dare! The letdowns of makeup! Hastily organized sorority commitees and search parties! Copious tears!
“That’s right. I’ll find her---” Allison made one step to the hat-rack and took his hat, then raising his voice: “Cloudy, I’ve been called away on business suddenly. Don’t bother keeping anything for me, I’ve had all I want---” and he was gone.
And we don't follow him. We hang around the house.
But Leslie was down again in a moment and standing in the doorway, her curls tumbled, her eyes bright and anxious, an indignant little set of lips and chin giving her a worried expression.
“Jewel, dear, I’ve got to go; there’s something important on--I’ll tell you about it all when I get back. No, please, I couldn’t eat now. You get Cherry to save me some strawberry shortcake.” And she was off like a breeze and out of sight.
That doesn't count as a HI CHERRY! but I am glad she is better.
“Wait a minute, Leslie, I’ll go up with you,” called Clive with his mouth full of shortcake and cream, but Leslie was already whirling down the street like the wind. Allison had taken the car, so there was nothing left for Clive to do but finish his shortcake and think up some form of amusement with the Freshman vamp for the afternoon.
Now I really want strawberry shortcake. And I'm starting to feel sorry for the Freshman Vamp, who is getting more disrespect than GLH would be caught dead giving the maid. Since she never even gets a name, I am starting to imagine her as a caped superheroine who hides her alter ego. She is passing the time allowing Clive to amuse her so she can lure her nemesis, the Swell Dude, into a false sense of security. Then she will bring down the smuggling ring she spied out while walking around campus on Clive's arm.
We will have to leave her to it, because Leslie has discovered Jane's wereabouts. Jane is going to the old quarry, and Leslie bribed the kitchen-boy not to tell anyone, which would bite her in the butt if Jane had fallen in by now.
“That’s all right, kid! You take the car and follow up the road. I’ll go through the woods and look for her---!” said Allison, springing out.
“You will be careful, won’t you? You know that quarry is terribly deep---”
“I know!” said Allison, his tone showing his own anxiety. “And Jane hasn’t scrambled around here as much as we have; she hasn’t had the time. And there is so much undergrowth close up to the edge, one could come on it unaware--especially if one was excited, and not paying attention---! I better beat it! Jump in and drive me around college and I’ll get off at the gym.”
So it's the two of them to the rescue. If either were George Prescott Benedict I would advise Jane to hop on into the quarry, but so far they're pretty competent, so there is hope.
“Allison--I think maybe you needn’t worry---” she said softly. “You know Jane is--real! She isn’t weak like some people. She won’t go all to pieces like--well, like I would. God means something to her, you know.”
“I know!” said Allison gravely, gently. “Thank you, kid! Well. I get off here. Meet me at the top of the second hill in half an hour, and hang around there for a bit. I may whistle, see? So long.”
This is the only hint we get that perhaps Jane deliberately went to the quarry to chuck herself in. As a cherry on this cupcake, we get a brief appearance by Howard Letchworth:
Her heart leaped up with joy that here was someone who would understand and sympathize, and she put her foot to the brake to slow down with a light of welcome in her eyes, but before she could stop he had lifted his hat and passed on with the others as if he were just anyone. Of course he had not seen her intention, did not realize that she wanted to speak with him, yet it hurt her. A week or two before she would have called after him, or even backed the car to catch him, but now something froze within her and with her heart beating wildly, and tears scorching her eyes, she put on speed and whirled away up the hill. It seemed to her that all her lovely world was breaking into pieces under her feet.
Whose only contribution is to upset the frantically driving Leslie to the point where she and her car might end up in that quarry. We get a long, agonized paragraph where Leslie thinks about how upset Howard has been making her.
Yet just when she would think she had control of her thoughts, that stern, distant expression on Howard’s face would come between her and the afternoon brightness, and back would roll the trouble with renewed vigor. What a world this was anyway and why did people have to live?
So either Jane or Leslie could end up deliberately quarry-diving. Goodness, this has gotten dark! Someone light the FreshmanVampsignal.